Quick Pressure Cooker Bone Broth

Fall is here! There are a couple of things that get me prepared for colder weather: scarves and bone broth! You can make this recipe in a pressure cooker or in a crockpot (just cook for several hours or overnight instead).

Bone broths are known for being very nutrient dense and chock full of bone marrow or what we call in Traditional Chinese Medicine "Kidney Jing." This basically means we're drinking a cup of Kidney essence, or ancestral energy, to help build up our own energetic bank accounts during the winter time. Bone broth is great for everyone, but especially those who are exhausted, run colder in temperature, need an immune boost or when you're trying to get pregnant or already pregnant! If you have more questions about bone broth or kidney Jing, just ask!

What could be better than a steaming cup of bone broth when it's cold outside? It warms me from the inside out, and is great for gut health, too. I've simmered bone broth on the stove and in a slow cooker, but when I want it pronto, I turn to my pressure cooker -- an invaluable tool for quickly transforming a pile of bones into a rich, flavorful broth.

Ingredients:

2 medium leeks, trimmed and cleaned

1 medium carrot

2½ pounds assorted chicken and/or pork bones

8 cups water, plus more if needed to cover the bones

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Paleo-friendly fish sauce

Preparation Steps:

Cut the leeks in half crosswise, and peel and cut the carrot into 3 pieces. Place the leeks and carrots in a 6- to 8-quart pressure cooker, and... [2 leeks 1 carrot]

Place the bones on top. Frozen bones straight from the freezer are perfectly fine. [2½ lb chicken/pork bones]

Add the water to the pot. [8 cups water]

Make sure the bones and vegetables are fully submerged, but don't fill the pressure cooker beyond ⅔ capacity. We're cooking up bone broth, not an explosion.

Add the apple cider vinegar, and... [1 tsp apple cider vinegar]

Pour in the fish sauce, too. [2 T fish sauce]

Lock the lid in place on the cooker. Set it to high pressure, and cook over high heat. Once it reaches high pressure, immediately turn the stove down to the lowest possible setting that'll still maintain high pressure. (Low is usually adequate.)

Set a timer for 30 minutes. When the timer dings, turn off the burner and remove the pot from the heat. Let the pressure release naturally (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Remove the lid, and...

Skim off the scum (if you so desire).

Strain the broth to filter out the bones, veggies, and other floating bits.

Some folks parboil the bones to decrease the scum, but I don't because I'm lazy. Besides, there really isn't that much left after you strain it.

This bone broth really is faster and more flavorful than other methods. Give it a taste and see!